Auxiliary grate for half-tank icing



y 1937- c. w. HILES 2,081,332

AUXILIARY GRATE FOR HALF'TANK ICING Filed Dec. 24, 1935 4 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR.

CPU 6,, 4/ ALI- 4 LEE 5 i BY Wmfv BM ATTORNEYS May 25, 1937. c. w. HILES 2,081,332

AUXILIARY GRATE FOR HALF-TANK ICING Filed Dec. 24, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 can?" M M64 ATTORNEYS May 25, 1937. c. w. HILES AUXILIARY GRATE FOR HALF-TANK ICING Filed Dec. 24, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 f 2 Ta: /V

INVENTOR CFML 4/ M6 BY v ATTORNEYS Patented May 25, 1937 r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUXILIARY GRATE FOR HALF-TANK ICING Charles W. Hiles, Houston, Tex. Application December 24, 1935, Serial No. 56,022

.8 Claims. (UL 62-19) The present invention relatesto amovable auxgrate I4 for supporting a full tank of ice. So iliary grate for permitting the partial icing of a much is the usual construction of a refrigerator refrigerator car. car.

In the use of refrigerator cars, it is frequently My improvement consists primarily of an aux- 5 desirable or expedient to only partially fill the iliary grate I5, which, when not in use to sup- 5 ice tanks with ice. When so doing, it is economiport a partial load of ice, occupies a vertical pocal to keep the partial load of ice in the upper si tion adjacent the end wall 6 of the car', as shown portion of the ice tank and against the bulkhead in Fig. 2. In this position, the auxiliary grate I5 separating the tank from the lading compartforms the inner wall or lining of the ice tank,

10 ment of the car. there being no other lining necessary inside the 10 The objects of the present invention are to end wall 6. The side wall 1 is provided with the provide an auxiliary grate, built into the ice tank usual permanent lining, shown as a screen IS in in such a manner as to be quickly movable into Fig. 1. The bulkhead I2 may also be provided position to support a partial load of ice, and with a suitable lining, as usual, although it has which, when not so used, can be swung back been omitted from the drawings to avoid conagainst the end of the car to form one wall of the fusion.

full sized tank; to provide an auxiliary grate in The auxiliary grate I5, which extends the ensuch a position as to support its partial load of tire width and height of the ice tank, is preflce in the upper portion of the ice tank and erably formed in sections, as shown in Fig. 1,

00 against the bulkhead wall; and to provide an for convenience in assembling, each section conauxiliary grate which can be shifted from operasisting of a rectangular steel frame I1 surroundtive position to inoperative position even when ing a screen panel Ill. The sections, however,

supporting a partial load of ice. .Other objects are all rigidly connected together, by bolts and g and advantages of the invention will become apspacers I9, so that the entire grate moves as a parent from the following specification, which unit. Vertical angle bars 20, Fig. 4, are secured should be read with the understanding that the to the back of the grate sections, the projecting form, construction and arrangement of the sevflanges of said angle b r b t in in t the eral parts herein shown and described may be end wall of the car to maintain air spaces bevaried, within the limits of the claims hereto aptween said wall and the screen panels I8.

pended, without departing from the spirit of the The sections of the auxiliary grate I5 are pro- 30 invention. vided with horizontal hinge pins 2|, Figs. 1 and 2, Reference will be made to the accompanying which extend between the flanges of the angle drawings, wherein bars 20 at the upper ends thereof. The hinge Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section showing a pins 2I ride in vertical slots 22, Fig. 2, formed portion of the ice tank at the end of a refrigerator in brackets 23 secured to the end wall 6 of the 35 car, being taken on the line I-l of Fig. 2. car. The bottom of the auxiliary grate is pro- Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken vided with rollers 24, Figs. 1 and 2, which travel on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the auxiliary upon the permanent grate I4, thereby supportgrate in inoperative position, i. e. for full-tank ing the weight of said auxiliary grate, and pericing. mitting it to be shifted easily from the vertical 40 Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 showing the position shown in Fig. 2 to the inclined position auxiliary grate in operative position for half-tank shown in Fig. 3. In this inclined position, the icing. grate I5 extends from the upper rear portion of Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line the ice tank diagonally to the lower front portion, 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing the auxiliary grate in inand supports a load of ice (not shown) in the 45 cperative position. triangular space above it, equal to approximately Fig. 5 is a broken enlarged elevation of. the half the capacity of the tank. The hinge pins 2| locking bolt shown in Figs. 2 and 3. rest against the bottoms of the slots 22 to sup- In the drawings, the reference numeral 6 desport the upper end of the grate I5, and the rollignates the end wall of a refrigerator car, 1 is a ers 24 rest on the permanent grate l4 against-the 50 side wall, 8 is the floor, and 9 is the roof. A hatch bulkhead I2 to support its lower end. Ill in said roof gives access to the ice tank II. The auxiliary grate I5 is held in its vertical The usual bulkhead I2 separates the ice tank position, against the end wall 6, by a suitable from the lading compartment l3 of the car. In latch, preferably a slidable bolt 25 which engages the lower portion of the ice tank is a permanent an apertured lug 26 extending from said end wall, 55

as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In its inclined. or half-tank icing position, the grate I 5 is locked by vertically slidable bolts 21, Figs. 3, 4 and 5,

mounted upon the bulkhead II, the lower ends of said bolts entering keeper lugs 28 and passing through eyes in the ends of links 29 pivotally secured to said grate at It. When released by raising the bolts 21, the links drop down into the clined position. I

When the auxiliary grate is in its vertical position, it presents no interference or restriction to the full icing of the tank, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4, nor does it reduce the size of the tank, because it forms the rear wall thereof, taking the place of the usual screen lining. When it isdesired to shift the grate to half-tank icing position, the operator descends into the tank II, or reaches down through the hatch ill with a hooked bar (not shown), releases the latch bolt 26, and pulls the lower end ofthe grate ll,

forwardly to bring it to its inclined position, the weight'of the grate itself assisting such movement. The links 29 are then lifted and locked with the bolts 21, and the tank is ready for half icing. It is to be noted that, in this position, the half load of ice is held against the bulkhead i2,

' and the major portion of it is in the upper region of 'the tank, this being the most effective and economical position for a partial load of ice.

When it is desired to restore the tank to fullicing capacity, the operator reaches in through the hatch and lifts the locking bolts 21. If sumcient ice is left between the diagonal grate I I and the bulkhead, its weight will force said grate back to vertical position against the end wall 8, the ice dropping down onto the permanent grate l4. If ice is not present, the auxiliary grate I! can be pushed back with a bar manipulated through the hatch. Thus the restoration of the tank to full icing capacity can be accomplished quickly, even though it may contain some ice remaining from its previous partial load.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car having an ice tank and a lading compartment, a bulkhead separating said tank from said compartment, a substantially horizontal ice grate in the lower portion of said tank, and an auxiliary grate mounted in an inclined position within said tank, the lower edge of said auxiliary grate resting upon said horizontal grate adjacent said bulkhead and its upper edge being supported adjacent the opposite wall in the upper region of the tank, said auxiliary grate being movable from said inclined position to a vertical position adjacent one wall of said tank.

2. In a refrigerator car having an ice tank and a lading compartment, a bulkhead separating said tank from said compartment, a substantially horizontal ice grate in the lower portion of said tank, an auxiliary grate mounted in an inclined position within said tank, the lower edge of said auxiliary grate resting upon said horizontal grate adjacent said bulkhead and its upper edge being supported adjacent the opposite wall' sages therebetween, whereby said grate when in its vertical position forms a portion of the wall of said tank.

3. In a refrigerator car having an ice tank and a lading compartment, a bulkhead separating said tank from said compartment, a substantially horizontal ice grate in the lower portion of said tank, an auxiliary grate mounted in an inclined position within said tank, the lower edge of said auxiliary grate resting upon said horizontal grate adjacent said bulkhead and its upper edge being supported adjacent the opposite 'wall in the upper region of the tank, said auxiliary grate being movable from said inclined position to a vertical position adjacent one wall auxiliary grate.

4. In a refrigerator car having an ice tank and a lading compartment, a bulkhead separating said tank from said compartment, a substantially horizontal ice grate in the lower portion of said tank, an auxiliary grate mounted in an inclined position within said tank, the lower edge of said auxiliary grate resting upon said horizontal grate adjacent said bulkhead and its upper edge being supported adjacent the opposite wall in the upper region of the tank, said auxiliary grate being movable from said inclined position to a vertical position adjacent one wall of said tank, and a sliding and pivotal connection between the upper edge of the auxiliary grate and the adjacent wall, whereby said upper edge is permitted to move up and down while being held adjacent said wall during the movement of said grate between its inclined and vertical positions.

-5. In a refrigerator car having an ice tank provided with a plurality of lined walls and an unlined wall, an ice supporting grate in the lower portion of said tank, and an auxiliary grate within said tank above the first mentioned grate, said auxiliary grate being movable from an inclined position extending from the lower portion of the tank at one side to its upper portion at the opposite side, to a vertical position adjacent the unlined wall of said tank, whereby when said auxiliary grate is in its inclined position it can support a partial load of ice, and when it is in its vertical position it'forms a lining for said unlined wall, permitting a full load of ice to be carried.

6. In a refrigerator car having an ice tank and a hatch in its roof giving access thereto, an auxiliary grate mounted in an inclined position within said tank, extending from the lower portion thereof at one side to the upper portion at the other side to support a partial load of ice, said grate being movable to a vertical position adjacent one wall of the tank to permit full icing thereof, locking means for holding said grate in said inclined position, and a member for operating said locking means, said member extending upwardly and being accessible through said hatch.

7. In a refrigerator car having an ice tank and a lading compartment, a bulkhead forming one wall of said tank and separating it from said compartment, and an ice supporting grate in said tank mounted in an inclined position with one edge adjacent said bulkhead in the lower portion of said tank, and its opposite edge adjacent the wall opposite said bulkhead in the upper portion of said tank, said grate being movable from said 75 inclined position to a vertical position adjacent one of said walls.

8. In a refrigerator ear having an ice compartment, an ice supporting grate mounted in an inclined position in said compartment extending diagonally from the lower portion of one wall thereof to the upper portion of the opposite wall,

said grate being movable to a vertical position extending from the bottom to the top of said compartment adjacent one of said walls, and means for spacing said grate, when in said vertical position, from the adjacent wall to maintain 5 an air flue therebetween.

CHARLES W. HILES. 

